Submission Do’s and Dont’s

hand written notesThinking about sharing your work with The Common? We look forward to reading your piece! Before you hit “submit,” take a look at these submission do’s and don’ts, compiled by our editorial staff, to guide you through our review process. Questions before you submit? Email us at info [@] thecommononline.org to ask question about our submission guidelines.

 

 

  Please do…

  • Send up to five poems, OR one prose piece, OR three flash pieces per submission.
  • Send previously unpublished works in English, and translations for which the translator has secured the rights.**
  • Include title, word count, and contact details in your cover letter.
  • Send simultaneous submissions, as long as you withdraw them immediately if they are accepted elsewhere. Poets may use Submittable’s message feature to withdraw individual poems.
  • Read The Common Online to get a feel for what we look for. Or check out these interviews with Editor in Chief Jennifer Acker.
  • Be patient with us while we carefully consider your work. Our typical reading time is 8 months, but this varies widely. At least three readers review prose work before an editor makes a final decision, so it takes time. You can always check your piece’s status in Submittable.
  • Submit work with a sense of place!

     

     

    Please don’t…

  • Submit work created, edited, or translated with the assistance of AI.
  • List any identifying information on your submission. 
  • Submit more than one submission per genre at a time. Wait for a response before submitting again. We will not read or consider multiple submissions, and Submittable cannot refund submission fees. 
  • Submit a piece over 10,000 words. Pieces over the word count will be withdrawn.
  • Query about the status of your piece. Your Submittable account allows you to check the status yourself; if it does not show a decision, we are still considering it. Our typical reading time is around 12 months for fiction and essay, and about 8 months for other genres. Three readers review your work before an editor makes a decision, so we appreciate your patience while we consider carefully. Your piece isn’t lost or being ignored, and querying will not expedite its consideration.
  • Let financial hardship stop you from submitting. Email info@thecommononline.org if the submission fee presents a difficulty for you.
  • Submit as a subscriber if you aren’t a current subscriber. The submission will be withdrawn.

 

 

Things we love…

  • Pieces that embody a particular time and place. We love reading work where the setting itself feels like a character!
  • Dispatches are a great way to get your work into The Common, as we publish more of these and accept submissions year-round. 
  • Diverse voices! We love geographic and linguistic diversity, works in translation from underrepresented languages, writers with rich cultural backgrounds. 
  • Fiction and poetry that responds to our particular geographic, cultural moment.

Inspired by the mission and role of the town common, an egalitarian gathering place, The Common aims to foster the global exchange of diverse ideas and experiences. As such, we welcome and encourage submissions from writers who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, LGBTQIA+-identifying, immigrant, international, and/or otherwise from communities underrepresented in U.S. literary magazines and journals. 

 

Lingering questions? Email info [@] thecommononline.org for more information!

 

From the beginning, The Common has brought you transportive writing and exciting new voices. We are committed to supporting writers and maintaining free, unrestricted access to our website, but we can’t do it without you. Become an integral part of our global community of readers and writers by donating today. No amount is too small. Thank you!

Submission Do’s and Dont’s